


Treasure

by Frodo_sHeart



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, M/M, as usual a mixture of book!verse and movie!verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 10:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2146722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frodo_sHeart/pseuds/Frodo_sHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It hurts, it hurts so much to have Bilbo betray him. Bilbo of all people.</p><p>‘Do you really value gold over everything?’ Bilbo goes on relentlessly. If only he could hate him. ‘Over the interests of your kingdom? Over good relations with your neighbours, over necessary alliances? Over friendship? Over...’ Suddenly the hobbit’s voice breaks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> Another take on how things could have worked out after Bilbo took the Arkenstone to Bard. 
> 
> Comments are very welcome.

‘You did what?!’ Thorin is staring at the hobbit, whose face is pale and scrunched up in fear. ‘You...’ He looks down at the old man holding up the Arkenstone. ‘He...’ The man Bard’s face is hard but his eyes seem apologetic. Thorin looks at the hobbit again. He feels his stomach drop, a black pit taking its place. Bilbo found the Arkenstone and didn’t tell him, Bilbo took the Arkenstone to his enemies, Bilbo betrayed him. Bilbo, his sweet, strong hobbit. Bilbo who fought Azog for him, Bilbo who fought spiders in Mirkwood, Bilbo who looked for him for weeks in the elvenking’s caves, Bilbo who faced Smaug alone, twice. Bilbo. Bilbo. 

Thorin closes his eyes, wanting to shut all of this out. All the pain, all the longing, the memory of how the hobbit felt when he closed his arms around him on the Carrock, the looks in those grey eyes, the way those curls move when he talks animatedly about the Shire. It hurts, it hurts so much to have Bilbo betray him. Bilbo of all people. He clenches his fists, trying to recapture the feeling he had when he saw all the treasures in the mountain, trying to remember the all-consuming drive to reclaim Erebor, to become what he was always meant to be: King under the Mountain. 

It doesn’t work. All he sees is Bilbo’s face, smiling at him. And tears burn behind his eyelids. And he knows he would give it all up if it would change this one fact, the fact that it was Bilbo who betrayed him. All his dreams are gone. Dreams of letting Bilbo know how he felt, of asking him permission to officially court him once they had retaken the kingdom. It is clear the hobbit never felt anything for him. 

A hand touches his arm, tentatively. Before he can stop it, a sob escapes him. He tries to mask it as a cough.

‘Thorin.’ Mahal, it’s his voice. Brusquely he turns away, never opening his eyes.

‘Thorin, please let me explain.’ Why does he have to sound so reasonable, so pleading, so sweet?

‘You betrayed me,’ he manages to force out. His voice sounds strange, strangled. 

‘You betrayed me,’ he repeats, louder, eyes still closed.

‘I tried to make you see reason,’ the quiet voice says. ‘You wouldn’t listen. You only saw gold and people trying to take it from you. They aren’t trying to take your gold, they just want your help to rebuild their lives.’

His heart is thundering in his ears, he doesn’t want to hear this, doesn’t want to hear the pain in that sweet voice. Doesn’t want to hear the truth it is saying. He takes a deep shuddering breath.

‘Do you really value gold over everything?’ Bilbo goes on relentlessly. If only he could hate him. ‘Over the interests of your kingdom? Over good relations with your neighbours, over necessary alliances? Over friendship? Over...’ Suddenly the hobbit’s voice breaks.

There is a silence that seems to stretch forever, although it is probably not even a minute.

‘Thorin Oakenshield,’ booms another voice, a voice they haven’t heard in a long while. Thorin feels anger rise in his chest. Without thinking he turns back to the party in front of the wall. He opens his eyes, disregards the tears that are free to slide out now.

‘You!’ he cries. ‘You miserable, good-for-nothing wizard!’ He glowers at the old man with the Arkenstone who has drawn back his hood to reveal the well-known grey beard. ‘You planned this all along! You sent your burglar with us to steal the Arkenstone, to betray us!’

‘No!’ Suddenly his view is hindered by a short figure, eyes burning, curls moving with a face that shakes with emotion. A finger is thrust into his chest. ‘I am the only one who planned this. And only when I saw what you were becoming.’

He stares into the grey eyes, trying not to get lost, and failing, the anger dissipating into confusion.

‘Thorin.’ Why does it hurt so much to hear his name from those lips?

‘Thorin, you weren’t yourself, you were different, you were almost like... him.’

‘Who?’ he hears himself ask in a whisper.

The hobbit looks at him, eyes softening as his face becomes sad.

‘Smaug.’

A strange sound escapes Thorin. For a moment he is back in time, a hundred and seventy long years back. He sees his grandfather walking around the treasure rooms, his eyes feverish, his voice curt and impatient. And he knows. Oh Mahal, he knows. He has to close his eyes again, unable to look at Bilbo, his hobbit, his once imagined future.

A hand on his arm, soft yet firm.

‘Thorin.’ Equally soft. ‘Will you look at me?’

Childishly he shakes his head. He wants to disappear from this wall, disappear from the sight of his dwarves and the men witnessing his humiliation.

‘Thorin, please.’ How can he say no to that voice? He opens his eyes, a few fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. A hand slides down his arm and takes his hand. For a moment he imagines that there is still a future for him.

Bilbo smiles at him, that same smile he dreams of, the one where his eyes crinkle and the lines on his face curve so beautifully.

‘I never betrayed you, Thorin.’ He wants to believe him, he really does. ‘I wanted to keep you safe, don’t you see?’ He is pleading again. Thorin blinks, releasing another stray tear. ‘You mustn’t fight with the men and the elves, you wouldn’t survive.’ Suddenly the eyes capturing his attention cloud over. It makes him so sad that he wants to reach out and touch Bilbo’s face.

‘Don’t...’ he starts to say.

‘I can’t have you die,’ says Bilbo. ‘I just can’t. I’d rather have you think I betrayed you than see you dead.’ Why are his eyes suddenly so bright? Is that ... a tear? Thorin can’t help himself, he has to wipe it off. Gently he swipes his finger over Bilbo’s cheek. But when the tear is gone, he can’t stop touching him. He drags his finger over the hobbit’s smooth jaw. The exotic beauty of his beardless face hasn’t lost any of its fascination for him over the months. Slowly he traces the faint lines on Bilbo’s forehead. They have deepened during the journey. His quest has caused this hobbit pain and worry. He whishes he could take it away. He says that out loud.

‘I wish I could take it away,’ he says, tracing the lines again. ‘Banish the worry, keep only the smiles.’ He ghosts his finger where he knows the laughter lines to be. Bilbo’s eyes are big, watching him. Looking into those eyes he finally knows. There is no betrayal there, only concern. And something else. His heart misses a beat. He raises his voice, never taking his eyes off Bilbo.

‘I will give you what you need, Bard of Laketown,’ he says. ‘We will talk later.’ 

Without looking at the Arkenstone, without looking at anyone, without caring about anyone but the hobbit holding his hand, he bows his head to capture the lips he has longed for. As arms close around him like they did once before on that big rock, he snuggles into soft curls and tells Bilbo about his dreams, about the future he wishes for. And when the arms tighten their embrace and a voice whispers a soft ‘yes’ into his ear, his heart sings, free of gold, filled with only a living, breathing treasure.


End file.
